Harper Assistance Checks

Check	Assistance Received
0 - 9	None
10 - 12	Solitary Assistance
13 - 15	Minor Assistance
16 - 18	Moderate Assistance
19 - 21	Notable Assistance
22 - 24	Major Assistance
25+	Exalted Assistance

A cell of Harpers is not alone. In addition to their handler, they have the right to call on other Harpers for assistance. Of course, the degree of assistance depends greatly on the reputation of the cell with the rest of the faction.

Assistance Check: The assistance check is a simple d20 check, with a bonus equal to the cell's Connections rank. A cell may choose a team from lower on the assistance check list if they wish. This prevents the accumulation of the Increasing Penalty point, as noted below.

• Increasing Penalty: If the test results in assistance of some kind, inflict a -1 penalty to subsequent assistance checks. This is both cumulative with future rolls and remains until it goes away in one of three ways.
  • Investment Increase: When another point of Investment is added to the Connections trait, reduce the current penalty by one.
  • Giving It Time: For each month that passes that the cell does not attempt to call on assistance, reduce the current penalty by one.
  • Rank Increase: When the Connections rank increases or decreases, reset the penalty to 0.

Assistance Results

NPCs from Volo's Guide to Monsters are marked with a VGM parenthetical. If the team includes the option of multiple types of characters, the cell may make that choice.

• Solitary Agent: Only a single agent can be spared. They are a bard (VGM) or veteran.
• Support Team: A small group of agents, primarily used for spying and tailing targets. They consist of an apprentice wizard (VGM), plus 1d4+1 scouts or thugs.
• Backup Team: A group of agents who can support the cell even in violence situations. They consist of a bard (VGM), priest, or druid, plus 1d4+3 knights, veterans, archers (VGM), or swashbuckers (VGM).
• Defensive Team: A team of agents who are strongly capable in dangerous situations. They consist of a mage or master thief (VGM), plus 1d6+3 knights, veterans, archers (VGM), or swashbuckers (VGM).
• Strike Team: A strong team of skilled and capable agents. Unless the cell is very powerful, they should be careful not to treat this team as minions – they are often at least as capable as those who've called on them for help. They consist of a assassin, diviner (VGM), abjurer (VGM), evoker (VGM), or war priest (VGM), accompanied by 1d4+2 champions (VGM)
• Elite Team: A team of very notable operatives, who only show up for important reasons and important cells. They consist of an archmage, archdruid (VGM), or warlord (VGM), plus a team of 1d4+2 champions (VGM), and a support abjurer (VGM) or evoker (VGM).